Lawrence in Arabia

When I hear the name T.E. Lawrence, my mind goes to the 1962 movie “Lawrence of Arabia” starring Peter O’Toole.  I’m not sure I ever paid attention to the full story behind the legend of this man.  Lawrence’s reputation was inflated in part by his own autobiography Seven Pillars of Wisdom that tracked his participation in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire from 1916-1918, but the legend of the turban-wearing, camel-riding Brit grew by local gossip and retelling of his stories back at home.

Lawrence in Arabia is Scott Anderson’s investigative biography into the man behind the legend.  Anderson focused this book more on the larger political climate of World War I and less on the man himself.  However, this book gives readers a great look into the causes of many of our political conflicts still occurring over a century later, and the basis for many of Lawrence’s actions.  This biography is truly a biography of the Middle East with the supporting character of Anderson.

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I give Lawrence in Arabia 4 out of 5 stars.  I found no fault with the historical accuracy of this book, but was anticipating a novel more directly focused on the life story of T.E. Lawrence, not the war.  However, I was surprised to learn so much about this era of world history while reading this book!    It does read a bit like a history text book or investigative journalism more than my typical novel, but there’s a reason for that – Anderson has definitely done his research and was able to debunk several myths and support others with striking proof.  Also – this may not rank as a “shout it from the rooftops” book, but I was telling friends about it while I was still reading!

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This would be a great book for readers looking to learn about the lesser-known events of World War I that you may not have read about during history class.  I would caution readers who may be sensitive to battle trauma, death, or torture inclusions.  This biography is also a great read for those wanting to learn more the history of the Middle East – from tribal relations to controlling powers to the origin of several current governments, this book covers it all!

I chose Lawrence in Arabia as my Veteran’s Day read this year.  November 11^th was original designated Armistice Day in 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of World War I.  It became a national holiday by congressional directive in 1936, honoring all veterans, alive or dead.  T.E. Lawrence served obtained the rank of Colonel in the British Army and later served as an Aircraftman in the RAF.  Lawrence received several award and commendations from both the British government, as well as the French government after his intelligence work helped to save French citizens.  One of the facts I was most impressed with about Lawrence was his humble beginnings – much like Alexander Hamilton, he was born out of wedlock and had something to prove his entire life.

Beyond Lawrence’s life, I was impressed by parallels between events in the Middle East during World War I and today.  For instance, this novel covers much of the origin story of the state of Israel.  There are also mentions of Aleppo, Darra (where the Syrian revolution began in 2011), Hussein bin Ali (the ancestor to leaders of both Iraq and Jordan), Ibn Saud (future King of Saudi Arabia), Mark Sykes (grandfather of fashionista and novelist Plum Sykes), and Amin al-Husseini (future Grand Mufti of Jerusalem).  The writer covers the conflict that set up the Israeli government and that is the cause of so much violence in the area today.  It can be difficult to connect current day events to the past, but this book will do just that. 

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: The Getaway List, Emma Lord
• Current audio book: Wild, Cheryl Strayed
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Tom Lake, Ann Patchett